It's Steelhead time on the Klamath, a great time for Fly Fishermen

Klamath River - Upper - CA - Hornbrook, CA (Siskiyou County)


by The Fly Shop
11-2-2011
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Current River Conditions:
The Klamath is fishing great! Expect to find numbers of 1/2 pounders and a few adult steelhead. You need to be aware of all the juvenile salmon/steelhead smolt in the river below Iron Gate. Those little fish are aggressive and charge just about any fly pattern and can be a nuisance! Bet you would like to have little fish bugging you right now! It's a good time to fish this stream. Go ahead and make your plans. November really is the beginning of the steelhead season on this legendary river.

Road Conditions:
No traffic restriction reported for this area.

Click here for up to date Klamath River flows

The Fly Shop's ? Tips:
In the fall and winter months, fishing various egg patterns, like clown eggs, shrimp pink micro spawns and nymphs like Pat's Rubber Legs, Fred Gordon's Amber Wing Prince in #12-14, Red Copper Johns under indicators, in slow water, will usually conjure up 3-5lb steelhead. In May and June, fishing large salmon fly dries along the banks, next to boulders and in shallow tail outs will produce those carnivores fish this river is famous for. I would not want to be a salmon fly on this river! Use 9' leaders, tapered to 2x. Attach your salmon fly dry. Cast! To step it up, suspend a prince nymph, red copper john or egg pattern under your dry. Enjoy! Look at the list to the right, the Rogue Foam Stone/Salmon Fly and Anes Salmon Fly Adult are great choices that imitate pteronarcys californica, or the Salmon Fly! The half pounders (juvenile steelhead) and an increasing number of adult steelhead make the Klamath a popular fly fishing destination during the months of October-November.

River Fact:
The Klamath river is 263 miles long, originating in a broad valley at the eastern slope of the southern High Cascades, the water source is Upper Klamath Lake. Sometimes called "the upside down river", the upper Klamath in Oregon is largely developed, but the lower Klamath is still wild, forested and ruggedly beautiful. Next to the Klamath, the only river that originates in a desert and flows into the coastal forests of the pacific west is the Pit River.

Flies:

Dries:

• (Wait for spring!)

Nymphs/Wet Flies
• Amber Wing Prince #12-14
• Red Copper Johns #14-18
• 3-D Nymphs #8-10
• Mercer's PB Biot Stone #8-14
• CB Black Birds Nest #14-16
• Sparkle Pupa
• S.A.L.T. Stone #6
• Rubberlegs #4-8
• Sexy Souka #6
• Zack's Thurmanator Stone
• BH Prince Nymphs #14-16

Eggs:
• Clown Egg #4-10
• Shrimp Pink Micro Spawn
• Boles Bazookas (All)






10-31-2011
Current Lake Conditions: Anglers fishing small midge nymphs like Gidgets, Frostbites and mayfly nymph patterns like Zack's #18 Pseudo May...... Read More